This invention relates generally to a water resistant peelable protective coating compositions, and, more specifically, to water and/or solvent based, polymeric coating compositions which form a protective and/or decorative coating with the ability to adhere to a variety of porous, solid, or liquid substrates, including automotive paints, metals, glass, plastics, vinyl, cloth, paper, asphalt, concrete, porcelain, ceramics, and solutions of water and/or oil, etc.
A demand exists for a coating composition suitable for the temporary protection of the surface of an article through the depositing on the surface of a coating which can be subsequently be easily removed, and more specifically, peeled off, from the surface without altering the surface or requiring a surface pretreatment.
For example, in the case of painted or polished metal manufactured articles such as automobiles, a need exists for such a coating composition to protect the automobile against weathering, contamination from the atmosphere, chemical attack or accidental damage during handling. Moreover, often the paint on the front end of a motor vehicle or around the outer edges of the fenders is chipped or otherwise damaged by rocks or other small hard objects flying from the road If dead bugs and bird droppings are left to remain on the paint for a prolonged period of time, permanent stain marks may appear even after cleaning of the automotive body surface. The vehicle""s body surface may also be scratched by pets, during delivery from the dealership, or even during transportation and storage from shipping.
A need also exists for a temporary, peelable coating for the purpose of decoration, either seasonal or occasional, which is easily applied and removed to items such as windows, doors, hood and trunk lids, tailgates, or buildings and other objects whether metal, plastic, glass, wood, brick, or block, etc. A three-dimensional coating film is more desirable to the consumers/users since it offers better visibility and greater design possibilities. The peelable foam coating can be applied to a painted surface, or coated surface such as chrome or chrome plated plastic, to prevent damage to the paint.
This invention relates generally to water resistant peelable protective and decorative clear, translucent, reflective, phosphorescent, or pigmented coating composition and, more specifically, to water and/or solvent based, polymeric coating compositions which form a protective and/or decorative coating on a variety of substrates, including automotive paints, metals, plastics, glass, cloth, paper, asphalt, concrete, porcelain, and ceramics.
The peelable foam coatings are solvent based and include a gas carrier and may form a generally flat raised ribbon of film on the substrate, or expand providing a raised three-dimensional coating whereby the dimensions of the foamy coating can be controlled by the formulation and applicator to form an expandable cord, string, lines, or figures, and/or for filling in a template in the shape of a desired design, be it a letter, symbol, or other art form The coating may be formulated for temporary or long-term protection and/or for decorative art purposes The peelable foam coating is fast drying due to the evaporation of the solvent carrier and does not depend upon cross-linking of the resin polymer(s) or application of radiation to cure. The adhesive properties of the foam resists migration, yet foams a peelable film on the substrate and foams a skin over a gas filled cellular matrix providing a means to control the depth or thickness of a single application of the peelable foam coating or multiple layers The adhesion of the multiple layers can be controlled based on the time of curing to produce layers peelable from one another, or layers adhering to one another with a selected amount of migration between selected layers providing a means to control the color, thickens, and/or texture or the layers.
The coating may be formulated for temporary or long term protection, and may be either thin or thick. The thickness and density of a single layer or multiple layers can be designed with a porosity to maximum the energy absorbing characteristics of the peelable foam coating as well. The invention also relates generally to water based and solvent based peelable foam coating composition and their method of application by brush, roll, squeeze tube, crayon, marker, ink pen, foam, jell, paste, spraying, dipping, and as an aerosol. The coating can be applied in a single or multiple layers which adhere to one another without bleeding together. The layers may be separated from one another upon drying enabling the user to position cords or strands of the coating composition for decorative purposes or portraying a written or graphic message. The peelable foam coatings may be applied according to their rate of curing (evaporation of the solvent carrier) in order to minimize or maximize the adhesive properties of the peelable coating layers and their capability to adhere and bond to one another.
In one preferred method, the peelable foam coating may be applied using an aerosol filled applicator with a tube or spout of a selected length and width to control the expansion of the foam creating a strand or cord of uniform width and depth. The resulting strand or cord will generally form a smooth sealed exterior skin enclosing a porous interior providing structural integrity thereto.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a decorative, scratch resistant means for protecting the paint, glass, plastic, or metal portions of automotive vehicles during storage and shipping, and against road hazards, debris, bugs, etc. depending upon the particular embodiment selected imparting a tough resistant, impact absorbing characteristic or more elastic film characteristic. The peelable coating may also be formulated to be an excellent insulating material against scratch or damage to individual parts and may used as packaging material to spray or paint particular parts, such as automotive parts or military equipment prior to shipping.
The present invention provides a protective peelable coating which can be applied to a painted or coated surface of a motor vehicle such as an automobile, airplane, boat, snowmobile, motorcycle, or other vehicle forming a removable coating which can be peeled away leaving a fresh paint surface in a condition at least as good as before application of the removable coating.
Moreover, removal of the film often removes dirt and contaminants covering the painted surface. The present invention may also be utilized as a removable protective coating for transporting and storing tools and equipment and applied to the bottom surface of snow and water skis, surf boards, snow boards, and other sporting accessories which require a smooth slick surface for optimum performance.
A clear and colorless, tinted, or pigmented coating of up to 100 mils and generally of from about 5 to 50 mils and preferably from 20 to 40 mils and most preferably of about 30 mils may be applied to the goods to be protected in the form of an expandable foam of a particular width and depth depending upon the application. Moreover, logos, writing and other graphic designs may be formed by and/or imprinted on the coatings using paint, ink, dye, or the like, and removed from the substrate by peeling the coating from the substrate surface. For example, an advertisement displayed on an automobile windshield or even the painted portions of the auto. It is also contemplated that multiple layer of coatings may be applied providing means to decorate an object. It is contemplated that an effective amount of micro beads or small glass spheres or other particles composed of other materials may be added to the formulation to aid in the release of the coating and may be used alone or in combination with the chemical release agents set forth hereafter.
Although not required, the peelable foam coating may be applied to a substrate such as a painted surface after pretreating the substrate with a pretreatment composition such as a fatty acid soap, water and/or alcohol solution, silicon, polish, paste, or wax in order to minimize or eliminate any surface marks left on the substrate from removal of the peelable film together contaminants adsorbed by the peelable foam coating from the substrate leaving a clean surface outline due to dirt or grim left on the surface surrounding the peelable foam coating.
A preferred embodiment of the foamy peelable coating composition comprises a film former, a release agent, a surfactant profoamer, and a liquid propellant in an aerosol can Dyes and/or pigments, thickening agents, anti-skinning agents, stabilizers, and bactericides may be incorporated into the peelable coatings formula to enhance particular physical and decorative characteristics of the product.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a clear, translucent, pigmented, flourescent, dyed, tinted, or illuminative coating for application to a wet or dry metal, plastic, glass, cloth, ceramic, clay, fiber, concrete, brick, rock, cinder block, paper, film, or wood surface, in addition to application directly onto a liquid substrate for the expandable composition can formulated to float.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a peelable coating in which metal flake, powder, or other decorative particles can be embedded throughout.
It is an object of the present invention to be applicable in a pressurized container; tube, or syringe.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a peelable coating which can be removably placed upon a solid substrate such as paints, metals, plastics, concrete, natural and synthetic elastomers, and ceramics and used as a means of removably supporting another substrate such as a metal foil, a plastic film, STYROFOAM, foam product, paper, or one or more additional layers of peelable coating forming a sandwich therewith.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a water based or solvent based carrier for the peelable foam coating for use on metal, plastic, glass, paper, or wood surfaces having existing protective coatings of paint, varnish, film, without damaging the existing protective coatings.
It is another object of the present invention to produce a peelable coating which does not damage the surface.
It is yet another object of the present invention to produce a protective coating which will not damage paint, chrome, plastic, fiberglass, or other substrate to be coated therewith.
It is another object of the present invention to produce a coating which is easily to apply as a liquid, foam, jell, paste, semi-solid, or aerosol.
It is another object of the invention to provide a coating embodiment having an interior cellular matrix formed by gas bubbles entrapped within a polymeric skin providing a three-dimensional aspect to the peelable coating so that the coating can be seen from an angle yet minimize the amount of pigment and other effective components in the formulation And the three-dimensional aspect adds to the design possibilities for the consumers/users.
It is another object of the peelable foam coating embodiment to be applied to surfaces without complicated apparatus.
It is yet another object of the peelable foam coating embodiment to include a propellant so that the coating can be sprayed from a can as an aerosol.
It is yet another object of the foamy coating embodiment to be applied through an extension tube to control the size and shape of the coating, and offer more structural design to the three-dimensional foams.
It is another object of the present invention to foam a expandable polymeric peelable foam coating having structural integrity formed by cells which exhibits memory and a tendency to retain its shape and appearance upon curing.
It is yet another object of the foamy coating embodiment to be applied at ambient temperature and dry on a surface (becomes non-tacky) within about 5 to 10 minutes of application and become peelable from the surface within an hour of the application.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a peelable foam coating composition which is soluble in an aromatic and/or chlorinated solvent, but not water.
The foregoing objects are accomplished by providing an expandable foam coating including a film forming effective amount of a film forming polymeric resin such as an aqueous polyurethane dispersion; a selected release agent such as soy lecithin for a polyurethane resin or a polyglycol may be used for a PVA resin; a propellant such as a hydrocarbon propellant; a thickening agent such as a sodium polyacrylic polymer; a surfactant such as akanolamide; and a profoamer such as an amide alkanolamide. Optionally, an effective amount of a plasticizer such as an aliphatic polyurethane; an antiskinning agent such as an antioxidant; an aqueous carrier and/or solvent carrier such as alcohol or preferably alcohol water blend Other components such as pigments, dyes, stabilizers, lubricants, waxes, and dispersing agents although not required may be added to provide desired special characteristics and properties to the peelable foam coating formed thereby.
More particularly, a preferred embodiment comprises a peelable foam coating composition comprising a selected resin, such as an aqueous polyurethane dispersion, in an effective amount ranging of up to 95 percent by weight and generally from between 60 to 95 percent by weight, and more preferably from about 80 to 90 percent by weight, in an effective amount of a solvent in an effective range of up to 50 percent by weight and generally from between about 5 to 30 percent by weight; and a release agent in an effective amount of up to 10 percent by weight and generally ranging from between about 0.1 to 5.0 percent by weight can be used to provide a peelable film having a thickness of up to about 80 mils and preferably from about 20 to 40 mils Effective amounts of other components such as pigments for color and stability such as titanium dioxide and organic pigments, thickening agents such as acrylic polymers, surfactants such as silicone surfactants, each one in effective amounts up to 10 percent by weight and preferably from about 0.001 to 5.0 percent by weight, may also be utilized in with the selected resin and more particularly with one preferred embodiment utilizing an aqueous polyurethane dispersion.
The resulting peelable coating exhibits excellent toughness, gloss, elasticity, resiliency, flexibility, abrasion resistance, and adhesion. It is resistant to impact and absorbs impacts, weathering, acids, and alkalies. It is a coating which is impervious to water, and is resistant to most of the chemical solvents. It may be applied by brush, roll, spray, extrusion, or dipping or wet or dry surfaces.